Metalheads take over at Mayhem Fest

Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival

Aug. 14 at the Cruzan Amphitheater

August 17, 2011|By Rebecca Nash, Coral Glades High

Metalheads of South Florida gathered in West Palm Beach on Aug. 14 for the last stop of the fourth annual Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. The crowd numbered in the thousands at the one-day heavy metal fest.

Gates opened at 1:30 p.m., and energy was high as people poured into the Cruzan Amphitheater, clad in band shirts, bandanas and sunscreen.

People wandered around, admiring the various band shirts and other merchandise, until the festival's Jäger Band took the stage.

From then on, it was a day full of metal, partying and fun. Bands such as Straight Line Stitch, Unearth and Machine Head played their sets with a frightening vengeance and precision. An epidemic of moshers and hardcore dancers filled the pits of each band.

As the day progressed, you could see the 94-degree weather taking its toll on the fans and the bands.

Though the bands played them off extremely well, there were some technical difficulties, such as guitars going out of tune and amps screeching.

None of the fans complained – it just gave them more of a reason to support their favorite band.

The most unifying part of the festival would have to be the difference in ages among the attendees. Children, adults and even the elderly gathered for the killer performances.

Though most of the older fans seemed more interested in the main stage bands, they showed amusement when seeing the younger generation jam out to bands like Suicide Silence and All Shall Perish.

About 5:45 p.m., after the last song of the band Machine Head, the skies opened up and rain poured down on the festival, a refreshing end to the second-stage bands of the festival.

It also formed a nice parallel to the song "Down From the Sky" by Trivium, which was the first band to take on the main stage.

Trivium played a great set. The band wiped the fatigue off the faces in the crowd and got them pumped for the rest of the show. Enthusiasm continued to grow as they repeated that they were from Florida.

As they ended their set, the crowd was sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next band: Megadeth.

As Megadeth took the stage, a deep roar resounded throughout the crowd, and the older generation got excited and engaged.

One by one the band's members took the stage; the famed guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine emerged last.

The crowd went silent as he began to speak, telling the audience that he had sustained a shoulder injury six days before the concert.

But then Megadeth dove into their set with a fiery intensity.

The set list differed drastically from what was reported from previous concerts, playing songs that hadn't been played all tour.

Megadeth fans showed off their devotion, shouting the lyrics to the song, dancing in their seats and even breaking out into mosh pits.

As the set concluded – a short set because of Mustaine's injury – the crowd cheered for an encore. But Mustaine apologized that he couldn't play anymore, and the band bowed.

In the 25-minute wait for Godsmack, the seats cleared temporarily as people went to buy refreshments. Fans waited, excited for what was to come.

The seats filled again just as Godsmack took center stage. By this time, day had turned to night, and the lights the bands used were much more effective. The crowd cheered, screaming every word of each song.

Toward the end of the set, the drummer's drum set started to move forward as he played. He had just taken center stage when another drum kit started moving toward the center from the side of the stage, with none other than the vocalist playing.

They proceeded to play an epic drum duo for a lengthy amount of time, but no one minded. As the kits receded to their original positions, the band performed two more songs, and then the set ended.

This time when the band finished, fans stayed in their seats, too exhausted to move.

They attempted to recover by the time the final band, Disturbed, took the stage, but weren't fully themselves again until the second Disturbed song.

However, this wasn't a problem. Disturbed opened the set with a short film and began playing along with the video. By the time this was over, the fans were on their feet again, rocking out to the amazing music, and watching the videos and graphics the band displayed on the stage as they played.

The hourlong set was accompanied by a tearful speech at the end of the concert, ending the night on an ecstatic and yet nostalgic note.

All great things must come to an end. So we bid the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival a fond adieu, and look forward to the mind-busting metal festival next year.